It’s been some time since my last post, and I feel I should give an update.
Let’s start with the bad news first.
The bad news is that I likely won’t be working on Shining Tomorrow for quite some time due to the war in Ukraine. Though an alternate history, that story has a heavy focus on geopolitics that resembles our own world. I was able to write it when war in Ukraine was still a hypothetical prospect, but with the war in full swing, it became too emotionally difficult to write such a story; it wasn’t fun anymore, and I needed to avoid destroying myself mentally.
To quote Adam Lane Smith in Write Like A Beast:
[W]hen you are utterly bombarded with personal disasters: stop trying to be productive through the crisis and focus instead on resolving the issue. If you can’t immediately alleviate the conditions, then focus on maintaining a healthy mental state with activities which recharge you and help you to feel fulfilled, and which remind you your life is more than just that crisis.
It may be that you are not able to work and focus on your book during that crisis. This is perfectly okay. You may also find you have periods of productivity where you do want to work and feel productive in spite of the crisis. This is okay, too.
Which leads me to the good news: I’ve refocused all my creative energy on Sasha Reed.
Unlike ShinTomo, Sasha Reed has more of an escapist, futuristic feel. Its conflicts do not resemble our conflicts, so it is far easier to come up with wild scenarios that readers will enjoy, especially now, since the instability is likely to last years. Working on it has greatly improved my mental state and gotten me excited about writing again. And with recent developments in my writing workflow, I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been doing for the past two months.
When I first penned The Perils of Sasha Reed back in 2020, I didn’t think it would come in handy at such a crucial time. But it goes to show that one should not ignore any idea, no matter how ridiculous it sounds. Sometimes, you need a project that fits your mood.
To support the creation of more work, get yourself a copy of The Perils of Sasha Reed.
Rawle
Yay for Sasha! Don’t worry about Shining tomorrow. It’s for later. Look forward to Sasha and her quirky perils having a chuckle
xavier
You’ll be getting more Sasha, all right.
Sometimes the muse works in mysterious ways. I’ll be in the middle of one project then I’ll have to shelve it because something in me needs to write another one ASAP. That’s not the way it’s “supposed” to work, but I’m a niche writer anyway. Might as well do what works.
Sasha Reed is a unique idea, anyway. Flexing your creativity muscle with a flexible series character like her will definitely help you in the long run. It will also give the audience more of a character they like. Win/win.
Sometimes the muse works in mysterious ways. I’ll be in the middle of one project then I’ll have to shelve it because something in me needs to write another one ASAP. That’s not the way it’s “supposed” to work, but I’m a niche writer anyway. Might as well do what works.
I write what I’m in the headspace to write.
Sasha Reed is a unique idea, anyway. Flexing your creativity muscle with a flexible series character like her will definitely help you in the long run. It will also give the audience more of a character they like. Win/win.
Glad you see it that way.